SHIT COMICS

Comic by Marti.

Comic by Marti.

From “Paradax! Remix,” by Brendan McCarthy and Peter Milligan.

From “Paradax! Remix,” by Brendan McCarthy and Peter Milligan.

“Nize Baby,” by Milt Gross.

“Nize Baby,” by Milt Gross.

From “Zen Intergalactic Ninja: Tour of the Universe Special,” by Dan Cote.

From “Zen Intergalactic Ninja: Tour of the Universe Special,” by Dan Cote.

“Thor #160,” by Jack Kirby.

“Thor #160,” by Jack Kirby.

(Source: entrecomics)

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I consider Kirby a visual artist, and a modern artist, by the same token and on the same playing field as any visual artist or modern artist, from Picasso or Duchamp to Jessica Stockholder or Banksy. And I rank Kirby very highly. I don’t see any need to make apologies or rationalizations for narrative or commercial parameters – Shakespeare and Hiroshige were commercial artists. It’s important to avoid self-ghettoizing the comics medium. Do we need to strain out the narrative intent inherent to virtually any pictorial artwork in order to assess its visual impact? Would we propose that for Picasso’s Guernica or Duchamp’s Large Glass? Personally I consider even the most abstract and conceptual artworks to be engaging the viewer in a narrative of some kind – often a more convoluted, context-dependent and reference-heavy one than that dictated by more patently illustrational figure paintings. For me, Kirby’s work holds its own on the strength of its visual impact, which necessarily includes his mastery of pictographic symbolism and graphic narrative composition.

Doug Harvey (via constellation-funk)

From “NonNonBa,” by Shigeru Mizuki.

From “NonNonBa,” by Shigeru Mizuki.

Comic by Spain Rodriguez.

Comic by Spain Rodriguez.

From “Chronowar,” by Kazumasa Takayama.

From “Chronowar,” by Kazumasa Takayama.